


The Brick’s Depth.

by WetMudSpot



Category: Mother 1 | EarthBound Zero | EarthBound Beginnings, Mother 2: Gyiyg no Gyakushuu | EarthBound, Mother 3
Genre: F/M, Fanfiction, M/M, Minor Character Death
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-09-25
Updated: 2020-09-25
Packaged: 2021-03-07 17:06:30
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 3
Words: 7,999
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26641135
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WetMudSpot/pseuds/WetMudSpot
Summary: Ninten awakes in a room, with no memories to call his own, and left with nothing but the clothes on his back, and a little psychic energy. Though not apparent at first, this place he's in is a sick, cold hearted game of murder, insanity, and survival. Will the fight to escape be lost all on his own, or will he find people to back him up?
Relationships: Ana/Ninten (Mother 1), Claus & Lucas (Mother 3), Claus (Mother 3) & Ness (Mother 2), Claus (Mother 3)/Ninten (Mother 1), Lucas (Mother 3) & Ness (Mother 2), Lucas (Mother 3) & Ninten (Mother 1), Lucas (Mother 3)/Ness (Mother 2)
Comments: 1
Kudos: 13





	1. A messy start

The light stretches out,

Purple, pink, and white.

Red, orange, yellow and then blue.

The dawn of the day resembles new beginnings.

But the poor souls who resonate here

Are doomed to a life of eternal suffering.

It may be undeserved,

But this is the fate of the unknown.

And so the orbs of spirit shout unheard cries

Eaten by the silence.

For when their light is snuffed out, 

The cycle begins again.

_______________________________________________________

Day 6 ; Round 7 ; subjects left: 11/16;

15 Awakened.

8 Alive

7 dead.

Booting up subject #16

Awakening in process.....

Complete.

—————————————————————————————————-

My eyes drift weary lids open, to an unfamiliar sight. Blurred lines become still, and into a focus comes a room in dim light. With an ache, I sit up. It is sparse of furniture, except for a chair and a small dresser with a mirror. 

Where am I?

What is this place?

Little suspicions dot at back of my head as I scoot off the bed and stand up, unable to recall through the foggy blackness of my mind. A boy appears in the reflection, with a cap facing to the right, a bandana, which on closer inspection, had the name Ninten on the tag, all downplayed by the snug, black long sleeve he wore, complete with finger holes.

Is that me?

Every action I take, the mirror copies, it must be my disbelief that is infringing on the concept of reality. Maybe there is something in the drawers.

I've only been sifting through the junk for a few minutes, shirts, toys, pants, none of this seems useful for defending myself in this strange place, until something pricks my finger. My hand recoils in shock, a thick line of crimson trickle down in in a steady stream, gradually decreasing to nothing.

I didn't exactly want to wipe my blood on a random shirt, so I just made do, and sucked on my right hand, while moving the shirts with the other. They revealed a well-concealed bat, with various nails, needles, and other sharp points stuck in the top end.

Good enough for "self defense" I guess, huh?

There's a small leather pouch here too. Feels like it has a little bit of stuff in there too.

Grabbing the bat and putting on the pouch, I make my way towards the door, and open it.  
The door shuts silently, and yet, it still feels like it left some form of resonance.

But that strange form of silence does not last. A faint static can be heard.

Some sort of intercom system? I can hear it from above...

The static changes to an abrupt crackling sound, It startles me, and I jump.

"Participants, we have, to say, A fresh piece of meat on the chopping block!"

As sudden as it came, it ended. The voice sounded distorted, perhaps artificially lowered, though still on the high end of that octave.

I wonder what it means by 'fresh meat?'

My pondering mind is elsewhere as I wander down this shady hallway. The only light is on the walls, kerosene lamps that flicker in a dim light. I pass door upon door here, but I don't enter any, there's just this lingering that my goal lies at the end.

I tread on and on, the encouraging thought of an end egging me to keep on going.

Maybe I've been walking for a long time now, maybe I haven't, but, into my vision comes a sign, then a door, with a table next to it.

The sign reads:

'Look at you, already made it to the end! I hope you didn't waste time opening all those other doors, since they were all booby-trapped! Past these, however, is a library, but every thing there and after that is hostile, there will be other people on that side with you... there's no turning back now!'

On the table is a small bottle of water, a pocket knife, and a granola bar. I take them, and put them inside the pouch I brought.

Well, here goes....

The doors were fairly light despite their size. True to its word, there was a library, just like the sign stated.

It was dusty, dark, and full of books, which isn't unexpected because, you know, it's a library.  
The books were mostly about history, along with some dictionaries. And what's this? A desk with yet another lamp on it. Some files with newspaper clippings is the only thing on there besides it.

I sit down and look at the first folder, it seems to be a collage of sorts, put together together to tell a story.

'Mangled body of missing girl found on mountain trail.'

'Today marks 10 year anniversary of town disappearances.'

The headlines all went through a same theme of that sort. It didn't make any sense though. Why would there be town news clips in a place like this?

The other folder was full of photos. Kids, standing, playing, walking with adults. Kind of cute. But farther in the back, there was a chart of photos, with about twenty different faces on it, some were marked out in red pen, others blacked out, and a few ripped where a smiling face should be.

I scanned the faces, looking for any sort of familiarity. One recognizable face was on there, or so I thought. It seemed to be me, but something looked off...  
It struck me, the hat was facing the other way, and the person looked the teeniest bit older.

But then, behind me, I heard a scuffle, or a timid scoot, perhaps.

I can't take any chances.

Standing up slowly, I grasp the bat with my hand and whip myself around.

"Who's there!?" I shout, holding firm, with my stance. It is crucial to not show any fear to a potential enemy.

My eyes scan the area back and forth, but endless rows of colorful spines are the only things that greet my vision.

All of sudden, I see a red swirl, and there is a loud 'smaaash!' sound before I can do anything about it.

There is pain, flashing lights, and a constricting feeling to my side. With every breath, it's harder to gain oxygen. Sirens are blaring in my head, and every thing is blurred. Gravity pulls me into its' suffocating grasp, and I plunk onto the floor with a dull thud, dropping whatever was in my hand.

In the confusion, the chaos starts to ebb away, and I can see two black shoes approaching where my head is. It can only turn just enough to see my attackers face.

That face.....!  
Isn't that one of the people from the pictures?

It was the other capped boy, the one that I had mistaken for my own self. He just grins.

"Thanks for this new bat by the way, I've been looking for one!" His voice sounded kind of high, suprisingly.

"You might not understand what I'm about to do. Nobody might ever understand why I act the way I do."

I stumble into a upright position, trying to get the most of what I have right now.

"But, I have to get you out of the way as soon as possible."

The motion he starts is quite peculiar, raising his index and middle finger to his temple slowly...

But suddenly, in a singular, fluid movement, energy seemed to spark out of it, and he whipped his hand back out, as the strange sparks raced toward me. Tensing myself, a wave of calm washes over me, and I brace for the worst.

Seconds race by with no impact. Nothing happens. I crack open my eyes to see a wall of white energy, blocking the hit.  
There it is, right before me. A glowing shape in the image of a diamond that fades away. My face snaps right back upwards to the figure in front of me, still unnamed. He looks taken aback, what could've been able to nullify that unique of an attack? And then, sharply, his facial features compress back into a sort of smiling grimace, speaking to a person in the shadows over to the left of him.

"I see you've decided to be the hero today, Claus."

He finishes the last syllable with a lift, almost like there's a fondness behind the tone. The subject in question, 'Claus' steps out from behind a bookcase, almost looking kind of awkward more than anything. I analyze his features really quick. A little bit taller than average, way taller than me. Wears a black bomber jacket, with black jeans, and white sneakers. Ginger hair. Whereas it was hard to read my attacker's emotions, Claus' discomfort seeps right out into the open.

"Ness, for crying out loud... what are you trying to do right now!?" He shouts.

Ness' face blanked out, unlike any expression I've seen before. Just sitting from a floors' eye perspective, It's pretty terrifying.

"What am I doing...? You should know. I told you what happened. This kid ruined everything for me last time."

Last time?

'Ness' is at a loss for words.

But then Claus senses something that I don't, because he speaks suddenly, like in a panic.

"Hey now. Don't freak out! Maybe if we just all calm down-"

Ness lashes out.

"Oh, COME ON. HE IS A BAD PERSON. I’ve told you. Trust me. I thought you already did!”

What could have I had possibly done to make him all irritated like this? I can't remember anything past when I woke up in the stupid place!

Claus narrows his eyes at me for a second, leaving me startled, then whips his head back around.

"Ness, please calm down, and I will deal with him later. You really don't want to fight with me right now, do you?"

The energy that was crackling at his fingertips faded, although not all the way gone.

"..."

"Leave, please, before I change my mind. I really hope I don’t regret letting you go.”

Ness looks the other way. Is that shame I am imagining on his face? There is no time for my brain to ponder over it, because Claus hurries over to my side, and helps me up. His face seems taut, as though one more extreme emotion could bring his facade of nonchalantacy all crashing down.

The sores in my side and my wrist are that of extreme pain, and it causes me to lean over a bit, so he sighs, obviously not wanting to play buddy-buddy right now. But we have no choice but to let me use him for balance, or we won't be getting out of here any quicker.

I am lead out the door to the right, greeted by another grim hallway splitting into various directions all the way to the end. Left, right, forwards, we change directions so many times, and my mind wonders how he even knows where he's going. Time passes by and by, but we are only slowing down by the second, for this long walk only allow my injuries to fester. I'm half expecting to be ditched, and left to rot in this hallway. They are not fatal, but just serious enough to hinder my functions. The least I can do is start a little conversation to get this awkward situation off our minds.

"So, uhm, where are we headed?"

I hadn't looked at his face since we left the library, but Claus seemed to be in deep thought. Focus returned to him, and he made eye contact with me.

"Oh, I guess I just kinda dragged you out, huh?" He says.

Thinking he might be bothered by this, I tried to dumb it down.

"Oh, it's no big deal... you must've forgotten, or something..."

"Yeah, but it was still kind of rude of me to do that to a complete stranger. There's a couple of safe spots, rooms I mean, a little ways from the library."

"You are taking me... to a room?"

"Well duh, unless you plan on camping out in the hallway."

I don't know why, but that comment made me snicker.

The stiffness in the atmosphere eased up a little!

Claus continues talking,  
taking my snort as a response.

"We're almost there, it's like, close..."

Damn. That was vague.

"We are here. I wasn't kidding, you know...."

Claus get out this weird pipe-shaped key, and inserts it into the keyhole.

"I'll answer all your questions inside."

The door opens with a eerie creak. I can't believe I followed a stranger.

"Oh it's...!"

"Small." He finishes for me, and places me on the armchair.

"I could heal you, but first, do you have any food?"

I look down at the pouch I've been carrying around and open it.

"I have uh,,,, a granola bar..."

"Well then just eat it. Hurry up, and don't waste my time."

Jeez, okay... Like there's anywhere else we need to be...

Looking around, the room seems kinda gloomy. The door on the wall in front of me is the one we came in through, Claus is locking it right now. To the right is another door that presumably leads to a bathroom- I hope. The left only contains a small bed, and a nightstand.

"Do you feel fine?" He's standing in front of me, I didn't even notice him walk over here.

It's such a stupid question.

"I don't think I could've gotten any better between the walk from the library, and here."

"Wow, rude."

"You shouldn't have been so forceful about the granola bar, then."

He sighs.

"Anyway, this might feel a little weird, but I'm going to heal you."

Claus makes a similar gesture to the one Ness did earlier, and a pale green light pulsed from his hand. He touched my shoulder.

I feel refreshed, a cooling sensation washes over me, kinda minty, and my pain is lifted.

"I'm sorry it isn't that strong."

He takes his hand off of me.

"For some reason, my offense has always been stronger."

I'm just confused. How in the heck did he do that?

"What even was that?"

Claus blinks.

"Now is not the time to be joking, you know."

He crosses his arms and walks over to sit on the bed.

"I- I'm not messing around, I don't know what you just did!"

"..."

He sighs again for probably the third time since I met him.

"That's called PSI, basically just psychic abilities you can conjure from your brain or whatever, I don't even really know. I had assumed you already knew since I can sense energy from you."

"You mean, I can do stuff like that too..?"

It's a really awkward situation to be in. I almost feel wrong not knowing by the look he gives. His eyes stare me dead on in the face. Seriously, I'm pretty uncomfortable...

"That's so strange, you're capable of a ton of support abilities, and yet you don't know...."

I am getting weirdly perturbed by the minute.

"And you know this, how?"

"I just checked you. There must be some way I can get you to remember...."

His face lights up.

"Aha!"

He stares at me once more in the eyes, and a wave of foreign emotions rush through me.

What the heck...?

~Hello, check? Can you hear me?~

‘Who are you?’

~It's just me, the guy who's staring at you right now. I think I managed to open up a telepathic link!~

‘Like, we can talk to eachother through our brains? Wicked. Am I feeling your emotions too? ...Caution, Care, Attract-‘

~Whoops!~

The other emotions I was feeling are shut off, somehow...

~Anyway, uh, that's not all I think I can activate.~ Give me a second...~

"I think it worked, uhm, how do you feel?"

Another rush of energy flows through me, different this time. It feels static, and exciting! And, you know, also my own.

"I'm just gonna take your word for it."

Claus beamed. "Try something!"

Thinking back to the motions Claus and Ness did before, I try to replicate it. My hands emit a faint glow of silver, and I smell something fruity.

"What the.... heckkkk?"

The pulses die down, and I look up at Claus. He seems a bit awkward again, and clasps his hands together.

"Well now that's out of way, do you have any questions?"

‘Well, duh..’

You should learn to conceal your thoughts a little better....

My face heats up a little, I forgot that was a thing.

"What are we doing here?"

Claus taps his finger to his chin, looking thoughtful.

"As far as I know, we're in a survival game of sorts. Killing monsters, all that. There's about 11 other people in here with us, and they all get added in 2 day incraments. The last person standing gets to leave, and supposedly regain the memory gap.

"But that encourages..."

"Killing each other, yes."

He squirms in his seat. Touchy subject. How many people has he killed?

"Although, I've been told that some people go crazy or something , attacking everyone in sight due to supposed emotion overload. Ness calls them the "Mad dogs". I haven't seen it firsthand...."

"Is this 'Ness' guy like that at all?" I jabbed.

"Oh god, not at all, he's just been here a very long time. He told me that the last round, he won. But they say he 'cheated' or something. 'They' being whoever runs this sick thing. Him and I teamed up a while back... but something changed him..." He replied.

This seems to be getting to touchy subjects, again. Trying to lighten the mood, I bounce up and go over to sit next to him.

"Well, how about you then Claus?" My tone sounded a bit fake. "How long have you been here?"

My sudden actions seemed to fluster him a little bit. It seems he bought it.

"M-me? I was like, the 5th person here."

He suddenly remembers something, what it is, I'm not sure of. Claus whips around to face me with a determined expression, and grabs both of my hands.

"I have something to ask of you, guy that looks freakishly like Ness!"

"My name is Ninten, I think..."

"NINTEN!" he shouts.

Gosh, he's so loud all of a sudden. I wince a little.

"Please help me find my brother!"

"You have a brother?" I exclaim. Wrong answer. He shouts again.

"YES! NESS TOLD ME SO!"

It doesn't really make sense for him to trust the word of a guy who tried to kill me only a little while ago. But, I guess it gives me a reason to stick with someone."

"Okay, okay, as long as you stop shouting!"

He grins, and drops my hands.

Claus has joined your party!

"Alright you nerd, go to sleep! We're leaving as soon as we wake up!"

I don't even know if it's nighttime. I'll just assume we're taking a power nap. Walking over to the arm chair, it does look pretty cozy, so it's hard to not fall asleep right away.

I'll just take a nap, and...  
Zzzzzzzzzz....

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The ‘ and ~ are the telepathic thoughts. They used to be italicized and bolded, but I haven’t figured out how to do that yet. When I do, I’ll go back and fix it!  
> Thank you for reading!


	2. Defense down is apparently meta

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Ninten does the noob thing and spams

It was not the kiss of dawn, but Claus' shaking arm that woke Ninten up.

"We need to get going." He says. "It's dangerous to stay in one spot for too long. Plus- we've got a brother to look for. 

"Just.... gimme a sec."

The sudden wake-up call doesn't do any good. The shock and excitement of yesterday's events takes a toll, and it's evident on the ginger's face too. With a sigh, and the rubbing of eyes, I stand up. Being crumpled up on the couch all night rewarded me with achy joints, so that, combined with the sensation of wearing day clothes that have been slept in, makes me feel awfully disoriented.

Admittedly, I'm super reluctant to do this. But, there's no backing out of something I've agreed to, especially with someone who's done nothing but take care of me. The thought of trusting someone in a situation like this is nauseating , to say the least. Only one person can make it out alive, so this alliance can't last forever. However, those are thoughts for later. Standing up, I turn towards Claus.

He's bemused by something. Always the analytic one, I see.

There's no comment about it from him though. All he says is "Alright, let's head out."

We walk out the door, and Claus discards the key. All of the flickering candles in the hallway seem awfully bright in the adjustment from a dark room to here. It also seems less expansive than observed on the way from the library. Perhaps fatigue from pain made it seem different.

"So, do you have a plan, or at least know where to find your brother?" I ask.

It's always good to plan ahead. Claus makes a face.

"I can sense someone else's PSI from here. Actually, possibly two people..."

"You are basing the fact that your brother might be alive here on the fact that you can sense something? Brilliant."

My reply looks like it stung him a little. Okay, maybe I feel a little bad.

"I can just... I know it. Someone's there. And even if it's not him, a party of three or four is better than a party of two." He resolved.

A party of three or four with someone who might kill us? I'll pass.

"Do you even remember what he looks like, or his name, for that matter?"

The tone of his voice changes to a more distracted one. "You're awfully doubtful for someone who agreed to do this in the first place."

He's right. The attitude I've been giving hasn't exactly been super charming since waking up. Granted, that was like 3 minutes ago, so Claus can't be too picky about how I'm acting.

"Sorry, I guess I'm still kinda groggy from when I woke up." I grumble.

This apology earns me a look of annoyance, maybe pity, and I'm seriously regressing the urge to smack it right off his face.

"It's fine. Oh! Let's go down these stairs right here, the connection is getting stronger!"

Before we can barge down though, I swear a gray swirl flashes before my eyes. What is that in front of us...?

The cute lil' ufo attacked!

Goddammit, I hate these.

What's going on?

Occasionally, enemies pop up.

I don't even know what this thing is! And where Is that music coming from?

Help me out, and use some of those support skills, will ya?

Claus rushes forward to attack, but the UFO is really agile, and he misses. All I can do is stand there awkwardly. I don't even know what skills I can use anyway! But I know he can't hold off forever..

Think Ninten, think...

Dude, please do something already!!!

Making the motion from last night, I try to think of something that I can conjure to help. Fire? Nope. Ice? Nope. Beam? Nope.. FOR THE LOVE OF GOD!!! DEFENSE DOWN?????

Oh hey, my hands are glowing!

Finally.

Taking a deep breath, I focus my attention on the enemy in front of me. Now that I'm facing towards it, the UFO recognizes me as an opponent, and fires a beam of light my way. It narrowly misses. I push my arms forward, and yellow-blue hues of zigzag waves encircle it's strange figure. With that distraction, Claus gets an opening.

Ninten tried defense down Beta!

The Cute lil' ufo's defense went down a bit!

Claus lunged forward!

330 of HP Damage to the Cute lil' UFO!

The cute lil ufo disappeared!

Silver dust scatters onto the floor with a poof! Once it's gone. I hadn't realized my heart had been pounding so fast. The beats ebb through my body. Nice to know I'm still alive on the inside. Leaning back against the wall, my breaths try to ease the throbbing . It almost hurts a little, but with the intake of steady air, it starts to slow down. Seriously? Beating one enemy makes me this tired? 

Claus doesn't seem as worn down as I am, but I guess that's expected since he's used to this kind of thing. He seems pretty impatient. "Wish you would've done something sooner," He wipes his forehead. "Come on, let's keep moving."

Begrudgingly, I lurch myself off the wall, seriously regretting ever getting up this morning. Why, oh why, did I ever agree to this? For all I know, I'm being set up for a trap. What makes this guy seem so trustable? With a slightly irritable personality, occasional cussing, and powerful psi, he's not even an obvious person to trust. Heck, he even sort of told Ness he would 'deal with me later'. We could well be on our way to my death!

And yet... I sense no sort of malice from him. Whether it's my shitty empath PSI kicking in for once, or even just common sense doing it's thing that makes me realize it, Claus has done nothing but help me since we've met. So, that's why... I think I'm actually committed now to being a team. We will face everything head on, and together, from here on out.

Speaking of the retard, he's just peering at me. Maybe I took a second too long to think? My position shifts.

"Well, Let's be on our way then!" I chirp a little over-enthusiastically. His gaze is making me a little embarrassed. Could he maybe have heard my thoughts?

I walk past him, trying to lead the way a little so he'll start following me. "Come on, let's go!" With a voice crack in that same cheery tone.

There's a soft giggle from behind me. Turning around, I see Claus laughing quietly.

His gaze meets mine with a smile. "Didn't realize you were so gung-ho about everything all of a sudden. Do you even know where we're going?"

The end of the sentence is met a with a snicker, and now, somehow, It's my turn to be annoyed and bashful. Wait. We were taking turns?

"Oh come on! I'm just trying to help you find your brother, since you were shouting about it all yesterday!" I say with a huff. All my thoughts from earlier is starting to contradict how I'm feeling now.

His carrot-top fluff swings sideways as he tilts his head. "Then get behind me so I can show you the way. There's no way I'm letting a newbie like you lead me around."

Ugh! Just when I was trying to like him too... He didn't seem as bad last night, but now? Holy carpet, is he a handful! Whatever. I walk back behind him, and we stroll down the corridor for just a little while. When we stop, there's two giant double doors in front of us with a label on top. With my shortness, I can barely read it, but it says 'Auditorium: Viewing platform'.

I ask him "In here?"

He just nods silently. There's a wave of nervousness coming off of him, which is weird, but completely just. There's no telling if his brother is actually in there, remembers him, or if there's a hostile person that's waiting to attack. But we must steel ourselves.

The doors are quite heavy. We both have to grip onto it to even widen it past 30 degrees. Getting a finger caught in it would be a nightmare. Slipping through the crack proved difficult too, but I managed.

Stretched out in front of us was a balcony, complete with seats filling up on both sides of the aisle. There's distant shouting from over the edge, this hall must be huge.

"Please, tell me why you're doing this!" Someone panics.

A voice in a lighter tone responds. "You should know better than anybody that I play to survive, and I'll play dirty if I have to."

Claus and I give each other one look before rushing to the end of the balcony. The rest of the auditorium stretches out with three lanes, filled with seats in between that only end with the spacious stage up front.

A blonde girl and boy flitter about on top. Obvious scuffs, burns, and dents from their bout litter the once-polished wood. Something seems off about it, but I'm unable to place the strange feeling from this distance.

The boy is merely dodging the girl's attacks. Doesn't he know how to put up a fight? You'd think anyone besides me would be able to. Claus obviously dislikes the scene before us. He's fidgeting around, trying to find a way to get down there and separate the two.

I cannot figure out any easy way to get down from here, though. "Is there any stairs we can take?"

Turning to where Claus was, he isn't next to me anymore. Instead, he's already checking out the doors to the right and left of this platform, yet to no avail. Both of them are locked.

"We don't have any safe ways to get down. But I do have one plan." He makes his way back over to me.

The statement leaves me skeptical  
"And that would be....?"

Without warning, Claus bounds forward, and hooks his arm under my shoulders.

"Wait wha-!?"

In one solid hop, he vaults over the short wall that was bordering the balcony. "Pk Fire!" Is yelled; a powerful blast propels us forward.

Turns out to be quite hard to control the gaining momentum. We're barreling forward at an insane speed, headed straight toward the girl. Sound travels slow, thank goodness, and she didn't notice until the very last second about her impending doom.

She gets double-tackled by Claus and I; landing in a heap on the floorboards. I'm being squashed by his heavy self, (tall people weigh more than you'd think, suprisingly.) Thankfully, he slides off, and I can get up. We rush over to the guy, he seems to have had it somewhat rough on his own. With hair flicked up in a peculiar manner, calm blue eyes, and bearing a standard white t-shirt with jeans and shoes, He reminded me of somebody, but my mind can't place it's finger on who. It's not like I have any people to remember anyways.

We both stumble over to the blonde dude. His face bears a confused look.

"What's happening here?" I blurt out. Claus might say something stupid, which is not really what I'm going for right now.

We get no answers from him, because a spark of energy whizzes by my ear.  
The girl behind us had gotten up, and boy, does she seem angry.

Trying to approach in a sincere way, I speak.

"Hey, maybe we could talk this out, y'know, no need to fight..."

She only looks over me in disdain.  
Then, bending her arm to the right, she says:

"If you don't want to fight, you'd best get out of my way."

"Oh shit, Ninten!" Claus yells from behind. "That's a mad dog, get out of the way!"

Mad dog...?

Crap!

My reaction is too late. An icy explosion hits my chest with full force, throwing me into the back wall by the other two.

I'm completely immobilized for a few seconds, regaining feeling little by little.

"P-Paula, that was uncalled for! You never attack anyone! What has gotten into you!?" The blonde kid shouts.

Everything is blurry. Vague shapes duke it out in the distance.

Why must I be so weak? Not a single offensive move I can use to help.

But...

My legs strain to stand, nearly buckling my knees in the process.

I can do one thing.

Over and over again, I get waves to encircle this 'Paula' girl. Her weakening state becomes evident with every small pummel. But it takes too much. I slide back down to the floor, only hoping Claus and the other kid can work off of my small contribution. Using one psi move last time drained me, so hell knows where I got the energy for that.

Who knows how much time has passed? The battle before me is fierce.

Finally, illuminating light fills the stage. Crystals, no, minature meteors are raining down on her. She crumples on to the floor, and just like the UFO, disappears in a cloud of dust. One blurry figure rushes over to me, and my vision becomes clearer with his single gesture for a lifeup.

"Ninten hey, Ninten! Are you holding up alright? Where does it hurt?" It's almost like deja vu. I'm getting healed, again. Still, I must reply.

"Greater than I'll ever be. I'm just glad that whole thing is over."

His watery smile almost breaks my heart. "Yeah. You definitely helped. That fight would've taken much longer."

Claus moves his attention to the boy. "And you...."

The blonde was fixated on the spot where his so-called friend used to be. His expression too was tearful, for different reasons. Only after a moment or two did he lift a hazy gaze to Claus.

And then he realized.

"Y-you're....." Stammered the ginger.

"Lucas." Finished the other.

It confused me at first; They embraced, or rather, Claus embraced Lucas. How did Lucas know who Claus was? I'll have to let it go. Everything, the situation at hand, where they were right now; was all forgotten, if only for a moment. It would've stayed that way, but affection kind of irritates me, so I stand up and speak.

"Y'know Claus, I don't think this guy has any idea why you're hugging him right now."

The two break apart, and 'Lucas' looks down for a second, shyly.

Facing me now, he talks with a smile.

"I kinda figured I was related to him or something. He looks very similar to me. But don't worry! I'm fine with his spontaneous hugging!"

Smart guy, huh?

He's very kind and polite. Unlike a certain idiot I know. Maybe I shouldn't be one to talk.

"Ah. Welp I'm Ninten, your brother is a real butthead, and I base that off of a day's experience."

He laughs. "It's still nice to meet you. I actually also have one memory of Claus for some reason, so I don't have much to catch you up on."

"To catch me up on? That implies you plan on stayingwith us." I prod.

"Of course." His face gives a winning smile. "There's no way I'm leaving you guys after a battle together like this."

Lucas has joined your party!

The three of us grin together now, three is greater than two, as Claus said.

Lucas speaks once more this time. "What happened to me before you guys got here is a story for later, but for now, I'd like to hear about you guys." That makes me smile. More company really isn't that bad.

Maybe we could even find another to journey with, though one thing is for certain, and it is the fact that we are traversing this brick-laden labyrinth together."

This place doesn't seem as lonely with another by my side. The monotone grays gain their hues with every person I meet.

Lucas, Claus, and I. This 'game' permits one winner, and I'd lay my life down for either of them to be.

So we walk out of this auditorium, to future battles, and to future glory.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hopefully 2,500 ish word chapters are enough! I aim to keep it between that and 5,000.  
> Thank you for reading!
> 
> Basically I said yes to all ship dynamics and this happened  
> yike


	3. Another one

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Stuff happens because yes

The fresh and new feeling of the the morning died down wearily, traversing the winding corridors and numerous rooms was exhausting. With the warmth of two people by my side, however, the sensation is not so lonely. Everything happened so quickly. It has been 3 days since I met these two.

We haven't really fought much so far. Only scavenging rooms and roaming the halls, per Claus' request. Lucas told us that he'd only fought one mad dog before Paula, some guy named Lloyd. Apparently the three were on a team beforehand. Must've been tough.

I hold back another cough. This area is mustier then the others. Lucas is taking small breaths, and Claus' shirt is pulled over his nose. Where is he taking us? Why does he have to be so goddamn mysterious about everything? Why do I always end up questioning what he does? The world may never know.

"Hey, Claus..?" His brother started, apprehensively. "Why are you taking us the long way to where most of the rooms are found?"

Dwindling light briefly illuminates the ginger's face. "The other way is the path most people take around here. I don't want to risk running into anyone else before curfew."

I can't help but butt in. "Curfew? Is that how we tell when it's nighttime?"

No answer. I am only ignored. Maybe we're close to a room?

In an effort to distract from the air, Lucas tries his best to fill me in on what his twin won't explain.

"Basically, that's the gist of it. A ton of enemies pop up at night, so it's best to avoid being out at that time."

The words mine and craft pop into my head. Huh. Rings a bell.

Every passing minute, the density in the atmosphere gets stronger. It makes me a little dizzy. When I try to take a deep breath, my lungs only constrict more. What's the point of taking a different route if it's more dangerous than a regular one?

Suddenly, my air stream takes in more oxygen, and the feeling of stepping from a sauna to a refrigerator came to mind in terms of air thickness. The lighting gets brighter, and another corridor greets my view. Claus stops though, and I bump into him, followed by Lucas knocking into me with an "eep!"

"What's the big idea?" I start.

The ginger just fishes through his bag I didn't notice he had. "Could be traps here."

That's overly cautious of him.

He takes out a small wooden ball, then rolls it to the other side. Nothing pops out, so he grabs my arm, and I barely get Lucas' as he pulls into a sprint for it. A split of paths into three ways appears. Shouting "Left!" we are all jerked that way, still rushing. I can only take so much running. That constricting feeling wraps me tight, soon Claus is practically dragging me. Why am I still so weak? Maybe that air from earlier did something. Yet... this still feels different? My grip on him and his brother is completely lost while I collapse onto Lucas behind me, who falls with the impact.

"Ninten!?" His voice is all squeaky. I guess I am kind of on top of him. But I'm not facing his uh.. face, so there's room for Jesus.

What a funny thought. Another haze sets over my brain. A telltale sign before a blackout. 

Ah, asthma.

Am I seriously always getting hurt?

________________________________

(Claus)

"Wha... whaaaa!?" Lucas is almost shrieking. Ninten kinda just passed out. Which is kinda cute, because his faced is all relaxed and pret-

Ah, fuck.

"What sissies y'all can be, huh?" I prod, nudging the pair with my toe.

Lucas hates being called soft, or anything like that. But he is pretty girly. Or maybe the brother in me just likes to tease him about that.

"Augh, Claus, now is not the time! Can you carry him until we get to a room?"

Carry!? I'm tired of looking after this dude all the time. He's way, way, too weak. 

"Why can't you carry him, oh dear brother of mine?" I ask, in an attempt to redirect.

The idiot smirks. "Oh are you too weak to carry him now?"

he knows how to get to me...

With a humph, I scoop Ninten up bridal-style. He's pretty light. Who would guess? We resume on our way towards a place to rest. Not running, but a paced walk. Where we're going, It should take about fifteen minutes to get there.

Maybe he senses the warmth. The body in my arms curls inwards towards my chest, trying to nudge in deeper. I stiffen up, my cheeks are starting to heat too. Dear lord, I plead that Lucas doesn't notice.

Yeah, that asshole makes everything weirder by saying:

"So, you and him have gotten pretty close, huh? A few days and the sails are holding strong."

I'm trying not to lose my cool. "Elaborate."

"I mean, you two have a pretty good relationship. Look at y'all now." His smug aura mocks me.

It's only getting hotter. "I saved his ass from an attack a few days ago, he owes me one. Did you know he's the last contestant to be added here?"

Lucas frowns. "It's been that long already, huh?"

"..."

He continues. "You know, it wasn't necessary to keep him alive. You could've let him die...."

Let him die...?

"Lucas, what the hell? You know I'm against killing people!"

"Well, what about what happened with Paula, what would that be called ?"

That's a good point...

"Well there's no way in hell I'd kill Ninten! So just forget it."

Lucas smiles. "I thought so. You really do care about him."

!!!

The nerve of him! "It's not anything special. Like I said, I just don't like killing people."

His face is still smug. "Yeah? Your blush says otherwise."

I feel really hot now. Fucking Lucas, always messing with me. He'll pay for his comment later. It dawns on me that I've been squeezing Ninten a little too tightly.... his face is starting to twitch a little. Man.. I wish I had more chances to hold him like this.

Wait no, fuck!

Luckily, I find a door to divert my attention to. The skeleton key I found proves very useful. Throwing the door open, I set my stuff down. It looks pretty roomy inside, with two beds, (pretty convenient, huh?) a dresser, and another door to a bathroom in the back. It's a little hard to slide the sheets down without dropping him, but I managed to set Ninten down on the bed and tuck him in. He looks so peaceful...

"Having fun there~?" my brother sings, who just shut and locked the door.

I think my face is getting even redder. "Yep, I'm fine, greater than great! Totally fine! I'm going to take a shower, yeah?"

______________________________

(Ninten)

The tendrils of consciousness stir in my mind. Why do I hear voices?

My eyes barely crack open as blurry slits. There's Lucas... and Claus... They're talking a little. These sheets don't keep in much warmth. I'm shivering all over.

".... why are you being so dismissive about it?"

"Because it's not my fucking problem, Lucas."

"Look at him, he's quivering! Can't we just-"

"Fuck no, there's no way in hell all three of us would fit on that bed. Plus, we kinda just met."

"Well, maybe it could just be you two....."

"That's stupid. Wouldn't you be cold then?"

My eyes re-close. I'd honestly prefer shivering to death over sharing a bed with someone.

Lucas still talks.  
"I could take the sheets from both, and y'all can huddle."

Oh hell no.

I can't say anything because then they'd know I was listening...

"... you just want a bed to yourself, don't you?"

"Spot on."

Claus gives a sigh. "Fine, whatever, you blanket hog."

The thin sheet and comforter are taken off of me, and I tremble a bit more. This room is super chilly, unlike the last one. Bed springs creak as a weight on the the other side settles down. This is beyond awkward.

I can feel the back of Claus' hand brush against my cheek.

"Damn, you're ice cold, huh?"

"..."

"Ah, fuck it."

Two arms gently wrap around my chest. It's a strange feeling. How can he be so warm? I find myself being drawn in by it, so I fake a sleepy roll over.

He stiffens for a second, and then relaxes. It's so comfortable to just lie here.

Perhaps this is the warmest I've ever felt. Curling into his chest, I start to doze off again.

How could I have ever hesitated?  
_______________________  
(Lucas)

It's been a while since everyone has gone to bed, but I need some time to think. It's been so long since I've gotten here. Well, in actuality, it's been 4 weeks. Probably. Maybe. 

A guy can only count, okay!?

So many people here have turned exorbitantly violent with their life on the line. So many people just bad to the core. It's rattling, seeing friends you care for change so exorbitantly. The same thing won't happen again. I will care for these two with my life, and keep them happy. Not just for them, but for me as well.

Rustle.

Claus and Ninten are shuffling around a bit. I'm so glad I got my own bed, since my brother is a kicker. Even so, the silence is stifling. Everything can be heard.

Thump.

That definitely did not come from inside here.

Pound.

More suspicious noises follow. 

Are they coming from the door?

It seems sloppy, not rhythmic. Like someone is desperate, crying for help. I can't just ignore it. The other two start to stir. My hands shakily fling the door open as I run to it. A trembling girl cowering at the bottom raises her hands, face bloody and bruised, with a large gash in her side.

"What's going on!?" Claus shouts. He has sprung up behind me, with Ninten following suit.

"I don't know, just help me!" We grab her and are able to put her on the bed without the sheets.

It's a good thing we took them off. Blood is getting everywhere.

Ninten has already grabbed her hand and is trying to be reassuring, while Claus looks over her wounds.

The door is still left ajar. Smeared blood trails from the shadows, evident signs of a struggle. For a moment I could've sworn I saw Ninten outside.

No matter.

I shut the door and re lock it. When I turn around, her bleeding has stopped. They are using lifeup together to conjure a more powerful effect. She's managing to talk a little more too.

"Who are you?"

Her voice is gentle, but tired.

"My name is Ana. Thank you for opening the door."

"Do you remember what happened?"

"I was... attacked by some guy. I managed to get away, but.."

"But?"

"I lost all my stuff."

Claus stands up and sighs. "Can you try to take a shower? We can probably wash these clothes... and this matress."

"Yeah.. again, thanks for the lifeup too."

For basic needs like those, the wierdest thing happens. We dump our clothes outside if they're dirty, and wait a second. Then we look back outside, and they are clean!

It does take a quick moment to drag the mattress outside, but it gets done. Good as new! But now we have to bring it back in...

Ana's clothes are folded in a neat pile, and placed back where they were left in the bathroom.

Ninten sits nervously on one of the armchairs. I suppose seeing someone get seriously hurt for the first time has him worked up and worried.

In fact, as soon as Ana comes out of the shower, he springs up to help, she doesn't seem to mind the attention.

Claus seems apprehensive though. Maybe girls make him uncomfortable?

Everyone settles in again for the night. There's probably about three more hours before we can go back out. I grudgingly share a bed with Claus- not looking forward to the bruises in the morning. Ninten has taken to another chair next to Ana's bed, in case anything is needed.

Sleep isn't coming to me though. In fact, it's Claus' tension that is keeping me awake this time.

What's got you all annoyed?

It's a weird thing. Why did Ana show up at our room specifically?

Maybe she got lucky.

I don't trust her.

I don't know what to think of her either. But if Ninten isn't hesitant, I don't see why we should be.

Maybe she's tricking him.

I doubt that, Claus. Quit worrying, and go to sleep.

Alright. Don't blame me if we are dead in the morning.

Just sleep, you conspiracy theorist.

...okay

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another chapter  
> I promise I’ll get better at writing tension :((((
> 
> Why did she show up at their place anyway? 
> 
> She smelled the Froot Loops I guess lol
> 
> Disclaimer: there isn’t no Froot Loops that was a joke I’m sorry :(

**Author's Note:**

> Uhhhhhh I posted a kind of suckier version of this on a different platform a while ago. But I decided to revise it and put on my uh, big girl boots for A03. Hopefully this is readable enough!


End file.
